Oh, How The Years Go By
by regina-phalange29
Summary: This fanfic is based on the episode "The One With The Fertility Test" and deals with what Monica and Chandler faced when the had to undergo. Please R
1. In Our Times of Troubles

**This songfic was actually inspired by a youtube tribute video by planeaversary called "Chandler and Monica- As the years go by". It shows Monica and Chandler's journey throughout the show-It's really great and a definite must-see for Mondler fans! The story for this songfic is from "The One with the Fertility Test"- I always thought that it was such an important moment for Mondler, but I could not find any fanfics which recorded this momentous event. I think it has more significance than their wedding at some level. Hope you enjoy it!**

**I don't own Friends :) **

**Any dialogue in this fanfic is from "The One with the Fertility Test"- one of the best friends episodes ever, for which I do not claim credit! **

"**Oh, How The Years Go By" is a song by Amy Grant- I do not claim credit for it either!**

Oh, How The Years Go By

In our times of trouble

_In our times of trouble,_

_We only had ourselves,_

_Nobody else,_

_No one there to save us,_

_We had to save ourselves._

Chandler was pacing around the apartment looking thoroughly exhausted. He had had a very long day at work- advertising was _not_ an easy job. He was just thinking about wanting Monica to get home quickly, when all of a sudden the door opened.

"Hey honey," said Monica as she placed her coat on the aging rack, "I missed you today!"

Chandler looked happier now, "Oh yeah?" he said expectantly. It was as if a light bulb had turned on in his mind, completely changing his previously tired mood.

Monica moved closer to him, "Yeah," she whispered as she leaned in to kiss him.

Chandler, seizing the opportunity, as he always did, deepened the kiss. He had to keep reminding himself how lucky he was that he was with such an amazing woman.

"So what do you want to do tonight?" said Monica as she broke away from him, her arms still around his neck.

Once again, Chandler feeling considerably braver now decided that it was time to take this to the next level.

"Oh well..." He said, as he made his way to the round dining table. The adrenaline surging through his veins gave him a new found confidence.

"Maybe we could..." He said, tentatively, as he swept the countless brochures, magazines and leaflets of the table.

He looked at Monica again invitingly, but also trying to gauge her reaction.

Monica looked slightly surprised- Chandler was never normally the one who took initiative for anything! She smiled slightly, but then, her obsession with cleaning shone through as she said, "Oh, trying to turn me on by making a mess? Know your audience!"

Chandler looked disappointed. This had never happened before, but he knew that Monica would have a real reason to turn down such a great offer.

"Besides," started Monica, looking a little saddened too, "Tomorrow we're doing those fertility tests".

Monica's face showed no real emotion, and the words felt alien coming out of her mouth. She realised that Chandler was looking intently at her. "Put a joke at the end," she thought to herself. She knew that if Chandler realized that she was worried about the impending tests, then he would freak out. She knew that the only way to make him believe that everything was alright, that everything was the way it was meant to be, and make him believe that she was not worried was to reduce the tension in the situation.

"And until then, you need to keep your tadpoles in the tanks," said Monica finally. As Monica uttered those words, she realised what she had just done. She had made a dim-witted joke to lessen the tension in an awkward situation. She had tried to hide her inhibitions and inner feelings from someone who loved her very much, someone who cared for her more than anything in the world, and someone who would die before he hurt her. She had tried to stop Chandler from getting hurt by making her joke. This made her think about the many times previously when Chandler made such jokes. Monica and the others always laughed at these jokes. At those moments, Chandler was for them, the one who would always be laughing, Chandler was always the one who made everyone else laugh, he was the one who would maintain his sense of humour, no matter what.

As she thought about this, she realized that what Chandler had done at those situations was make a joke, so no one would be hurt.

Chandler cared enough about everyone to such an extent that he slyly hid his true feelings by making these jokes. The thought of that was slightly nauseating for Monica.

How much did Chandler know?

Chandler looked at Monica, slightly surprised. He knew that it was not normal for Monica to make such stupid jokes. In fact, whenever he had made such jokes, Monica shunned him. The abnormality of the situation made him feel that there was more to what Monica was saying, than what met the eye.

He decided that he wanted to find out once and for all.

"We really need to take those tests?" said Chandler in a voice which echoed his inhibitions.

Monica knew that Chandler was thinking exactly what she was thinking. They were both trying to avoid facing the facts. They were both in silent denial.

"Honey, we've been trying to have a baby for over a year," started Monica tentatively, "I think it's a good idea to find out if everything's OK"

Her soft voice echoed around the room. It seemed to send shivers up Chandler's spine. As a result, his expression changed.

Monica, sensing this, said reassuringly, "Just a few routine tests". She hoped that this would calm Chandler down. Even though he was not outwardly moved, Monica knew that he was adept at hiding is emotions, as he had shown in the past. He may appear unmoved, but she knew that deep down, he was unsettled.

Chandler was starting to feel quite uncomfortable now, he never really liked surgeries and as a last resort he said, "But I don't wanna do it in a cup".

To Monica, his tone of voice was reminiscent of a small child. It reminded her that Chandler was not the most emotionally stable of all.

"What is the big deal," said Monica again, this time, she sounded a little frustrated.

Chandler, decided that this was the opportunity he was looking for. He took a deep breath and said, "It's weird!".

Now, looking thoroughly shaken, he went on to say, "In a doctor's office?" He had never liked doctor's offices very much. They were far too white, far too sterile, and far to artificial for any act- let alone what he was expected to do!

Monica smirked. This was the reason why she married Chandler in the first place. She loved how he was so much like a little child. Vulnerable at times with a heart of gold.

She knew that she had to change the topic, and fast. Chandler was at the very first stages of a mass "freak-out". Once again, she opted for the more tactical approach of a joke.

"It's not OK to do it in a doctor's office, but it is OK to do it in a parked car behind a Taco Bell," said Monica grinning. Chandler would completely forget about what he had to do very soon, and would start defending his actions! This was exactly what she needed to calm him down.

Chandler's face had now gone red because of the sheer embarrassment. "I cannot believe Ross told you that!" he said, exasperated. Ross, his best friends, had told Monica some of his deepest and darkest secrets. Something which truly made him cringe.

"And in my defence," he added, because he felt his actions were justified, "It was a Wendy's".

This made Monica smile, and to make Chandler feel better she said, "Look, I don't want to do this test either," The words made her stomach churn. No way, did she want to do this test. "But I really do think it's a good idea!" She said. There was only one way to find out why they had not been able to conceive after so long.

Chandler, sensing her anxiety regarding the tests which she had to do, decided to lessen the tension, once again. After all, it was what he did best!

"Yeah, ok," started Chandler. He knew he had to phrase the next few words perfectly to achieve the desired effect.

"I'm sure that a doctor's office can't be worse than on a class trip to the Hershey's factory!" He finished with a wide grin on his face. His gaze rested on Monica, she had gone completely red.

"OH-"started Monica. The thought of the tests were completely out of her mind. Only Chandler could do that to her.

"Oh yeah!" said Chandler, looking thoroughly pleased with himself, "RACHEL TALKS TOO!"

**I hope you liked this chapter! I would absolutely LOVE IT if you decide to leave me a review! I think there are going to be 5 chapters altogether in this songfic, so stay tuned for another update! **

"**Regina" x**


	2. And When The Storms Came Through

**Sorry this update is so late! I have my GCSEs in a few weeks (ahhh) so I've been **_**trying **_**to revise :D OK... here goes! I'd LOVE it if you reviewed this! Seriously every time I read a review for my work, good or bad, I get this huge smile! :D**

And When The Storms Came Through

_And when the storms came through,_

_They found me and you,_

_Back to back together,_

_And when the sun would shine,_

_It was yours and mine,_

_Yours and mine forever._

_Oh how the years go by,_

_And oh how the love brings tears to my eyes,_

_All through the changes, the soul never dies_

_We fight, we laugh, we cry,_

_As the years go by._

Not long after, Monica and Chandler found themselves sitting in the clinic, waiting anxiously for their fertility tests. Chandler was fidgeting more than normal- he would cross his legs, then uncross them, then sit up. He kept this mantra up for quite some time. It seemed he was trying to get out all his frustration, all his anxiety and fear about "doing it in a cup" by being completely antsy. He would occasionally glance at the various medical posters which clad the sterile white wall- as if that would make the process easier for him.

Eventually though, Chandler's fear got to him. "I have a weird feeling about this place," he said to Monica. He thought for a moment about what he had said, then realized the ambiguity of the whole thing. Nervously, he carried on, "How do I know that they're not gonna secretly videotape me and put it all over the internet?" The look on his face was incredulous.

Monica, who appeared to be deeply engrossed in a magazine, gave him a defiant look and said with conviction, "Because, honey, and I mean this in the sweetest way possible, nobody is gonna wanna watch that!".

Chandler, still seemed a little downcast, and was about to say something when a nurse came up to him. "Mr Bing?" she said, causing Chandler to jump up, "Here you are," she continued as she handed Chandler a small container, she then pointed at a door and said "You'll go into that room and deposit your specimen into the container".

"Deposit my specimen," said Chandler, his voice impregnated with uncertainty. He decided that humour may very well make the situation better than it was, so, he said, more confidently, "You know, usually I have to call a 900 number for that kind of talk". He smiled as he thought about what he had just said.

The nurse looked at him like he was insane. She was not amused. Did he not know where he was? Did he not understand how the next few days may unfurl?

"Thanks, got it," said Chandler looking utterly crestfallen as he took the cup and looked at it. This little cup was going to determine what was going to happen to their lives. This seemingly insignificant piece of plastic could very well define their relationship. The severity of the situation was starting to get to him- it was making him a little nauseous- and he still had not done what he had to do yet.

Monica got up from the couch and walked up to Chandler. "Alright, honey, my tests are down by the hall," she said as she patted his arm sympathetically. "Are you sure you're going to be OK?" she said, looking slightly concerned.

Chandler held the cup up and glanced at it once more. This was not going to be easy, but he knew that he had to do it for Monica. Having a baby meant a lot to her, and the only way they were going to find out what was happening was by taking these tests.

"Yeah, I guess," said Chandler, looking at the cup, and then at Monica. He had given up. There really was nothing more he could do.

Monica draped her arms around his neck, and said, "I know this is going to be embarrassing, but nobody cares," trying to reassure him and herself at the same time, "No one here even knows you," she said as she reached up to kiss him.

As she moved her arms to his shoulders, Chandler looked into her eyes. "You are doing this to make Monica happy," he reassured himself. Besides, she was right, there was no one who knew them there.

Chandler leaned in to kiss Monica again, when he heard a voice. A feminine and very, very high pitched voice.

"Oh My God," said the voice behind him.

Chandler turned around on the spot, that voice sent shivers down his spine, hearing that voice was never a good sign, ever.

Standing there, wearing an outrageous red cardigan was Janice.

Chandler was practically dying on the inside. First he had to do it in a cup, and then, he had to live with the horror of knowing that Janice he had to that!

It would have been bad enough to have any of his friends there- Rachel, Phoebe, Ross and even Joey, but to have Janice?

Chandler, his voice hoarse, with the look of someone who had just seen a ghost cried out, "Oh, COME ON!".

His expression was repulsed, as he looked at Janice, not even accounting for what Monica had to go through too.


End file.
